(CNN)Janet Jackson gave a documentary crew access for five years, but with Jackson and brother Randy Jackson serving as executive producers the resulting project, "Janet Jackson," feels too conspicuously like a licensed product. Addressing some uncomfortable parts of her biography but sidestepping others, it's pretty obvious who's in control here.
To be fair, plenty of celebrities have been the subject of mostly adoring documentaries, and Jackson has the musical resume to justify such adulation. But few artists come with as much family baggage and history, from the domineering nature of patriarch Joe to the allegations against her brother Michael (detailed in the 2019 documentary "Leaving Neverland"), whose shadow, it's noted, also hovered over her even as she achieved solo stardom.
Jackson explains the "why now" aspect of this two-night Lifetime presentation (only the first half was made available) by saying, "It's just something that needs to be done." The timing comes after a New York Times documentary about the singer's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction," which highlighted the unfairness of that event and its aftermath in a way that was highly sympathetic to Jackson.
While the opportunity to hear from the youngest sibling of the musically gifted Jackson family brings with it a treasure trove of footage (some previously unseen) and flood of memories, director Benjamin Hirsch appears to be operating within clear parameters that won't allow for ruffling too many feathers.
Discussing Joe, for example, Jackson says during the opening part that her parents "disciplined all of us," adding, "Obviously, it worked." Yet that gives short shrift to the details of her brothers dropping him as their manager, which allowed Joe to focus on Janet before she declared her independence, launching a pair of chart-topping smashes with "Control" and "Rhythm Nation 1814."
Photos: In pictures: Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson performs during the MTV Europe Music Awards on November 4, 2018, in Bilbao, Spain. A two-part documentary about the pop star premieres Friday 1/28 on Lifetime and A&E.
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Photos: In pictures: Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson, right in a yellow dress, sits with her brother, Jermaine Jackson, and other members of their family beside the pool at their parents' home in Encino, California, in 1971.
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Janet Jackson and her brother, Michael Jackson, pose for a photo on December 18, 1972, in Los Angeles. Michael died of cardiac arrest in 2009 at the age of 50.
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Janet Jackson, front center, attends older brother Jermaine Jackson's wedding in December 1973. She's with her mother Katherine, sister La Toya, and brothers Randy and Michael.
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Siblings Michael and Janet Jackson attend the American Music Awards in February 1975.
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The Jackson family films a television show at Burbank Studios in California on November 13, 1976. From left to right are Randy, La Toya, Marlon, Janet, Michael, Jackie, Rebbie and Tito.
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Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson attend the premiere of "The Wiz" in 1978. The two started off as child superstars and grew into music icons.
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Janet Jackson appears in a 1977 episode of the TV sitcom "Good Times" alongside actors Bob Delegall and Ja'net DuBois.
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Janet Jackson portrays Todd Bridges' love interest in the TV series "Diff'rent Strokes," circa 1981.
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La Toya Jackson and Janet Jackson in December 1982. Janet Jackson is the youngest of the 10 Jackson siblings.
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Janet Jackson, right, attends the R&B Awards with her father, Joe Jackson, and sister, LaToya Jackson, on February 4, 1983, in Los Angeles.
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Pop superstar Michael Jackson is joined on stage by his sisters, from left, Maureen "Rebie," Janet and LaToya during the 26th annual Grammy Awards on February 29, 1984, in Los Angeles.
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Singer Janet Jackson and her first husband, James DeBarge, attend the 12th annual American Music Awards on January 28, 1985, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
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Janet Jackson performs at the American Music Awards in 1987.
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Queen Elizabeth II meets singer Janet Jackson in 1989 at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium.
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Janet Jackson, center, receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with her parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, in 1990.
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Janet Jackson performs during her "Rhythm Nation World Tour" on March 10, 1990, at the Cincinnati Coliseum in Ohio.
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Flanked by Mickey Mouse, Janet Jackson blows out the candle on a cake to celebrate her 24th birthday on May 16, 1990, at Tokyo Disneyland.
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Rapper Tupac Shakur starred with Janet Jackson in the 1993 movie, "Poetic Justice."
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Colin Powell and Janet Jackson visit an at-risk neighborhood in Washington, D.C. to promote the organization "America's Promise" on July 7, 1998. Powell, the former Secretary of State, died in October 2021 at age 84.
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Janet Jackson performs to a sold-out crowd during her Velvet Rope Tour in 1998 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston attend the 71st annual Academy Awards' Elton John AIDS Foundation Party in Los Angeles in 1999.
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Jay Leno, host of "The Tonight Show," chats with Janet Jackson on April 26, 2001.
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Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson exit the courthouse following Michael Jackson's arraignment on child molestation charges in January 2004 in Santa Barbara County, California.
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Janet Jackson performs with Justin Timberlake during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston on February 1, 2004.
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Finesse Mitchell, Janet Jackson and Fred Armisen as a ticket scalper in the "Janet Ticket Line" skit on "Saturday Night Live" on April 10, 2004.
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Janet Jackson and then-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri attend an Olympus Fashion Week event in New York City on February 8, 2005.
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Janet Jackson greets fans after performing on NBC's "Today" show at New York's Rockefeller Center on September 29, 2006.
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Janet Jackson performs at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on December 2006.
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Tasha Smith, Janet Jackson and Sharon Leal in the 2007 Tyler Perry film, "Why Did I Get Married?"
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Janet Jackson attends a London Fashion Week event on February 21, 2010.
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Janet Jackson performs during the 2009 MTV Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
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Janet Jackson comforts her niece, Paris Jackson, during the memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7, 2009.
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Singer Janet Jackson attends a signing to promote her new book, "True You: A Guide To Finding And Loving Yourself," in Los Angeles on April 15, 2011.
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Singer Janet Jackson arrives for the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS benefit at the 65th Cannes film festival in Cap d'Antibes, France, on May 24, 2012.
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Francesco Russo and Janet Jackson attend an event at Milan Fashion Week on February 21, 2013, in Milan, Italy.
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Janet Jackson performs after the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse on March 26, 2016, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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Janet Jackson performs at the MTV Europe Music Awards on November 4, 2018, in Bilbao, Spain.
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Inductee Janet Jackson speaks during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on March 29, 2019, in New York City.
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The first part of "Janet Jackson" does address several headline-friendly topics, including questions about Jackson's short-lived marriage to James DeBarge, and denying the tabloid rumors of her "secret baby." The responses, however, mostly serve as an indictment of the level of scrutiny and gossip-mongering about the Jacksons through the years.
There's obviously truth in that, and it's hard not to wince at footage showing Jackson -- at the pinnacle of her career -- being peppered with questions about Michael while promoting her tour. Still, "Janet Jackson's" once-over-lightly approach too often feels narrow in its focus, allowing Jackson to pull back the curtain a little, but not quite enough.
So what is included? Interviews with various family members, third-party celebrity voices praising Jackson, and video like the Jackson 5's original Motown audition or behind-the-scenes glimpses of Jackson working in the studio (and occasionally butting heads) with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
The Jacksons haven't suffered for lack of coverage, and there's interest in hearing their unfiltered side of things. But to those seeking a balanced and unvarnished look, to borrow from one of Jackson's hits, that's apparently going to have to wait awhile.
"Janet Jackson" airs Jan. 28-29 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime and A&E.
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